I hope Miami wins this one. And then, I'd like to see LeBron leave, and win some more titles with team that has not true superstars alongside him, just some solid players, so people could realize how good he is, and how much better he makes the team he plays for.

For instance, his return to Cleveland after his contract in Miami expires...I'd really love to see that.

These playoffs have done two things in regards to my opinion of the Miami Heat:

1. LeBron is getting my respect as an athlete who is determine to win and isn't making excuses. I was a lebron hater, but for the first time, i cannot really hate him anymore. dude is playing some really good basketball

2. Dwayne Wade is getting more immature by the game. What happen to him. Dude has been nothing but a deuche. Crying, flopping every chance he gets. He is the reason why I think the heat will lose the playoffs. in the future, people will turn on wade and forgive lebron if they do not win a title.

Yeah, completely agree with you there Mr. C. I used to really like Wade, but I don't know what got into him. If I didn't like him before, he would probably be one of mine most disliked players in the whole NBA.

OKC beat Miami in Game 1 105-94. The two duos were best for both teams and pretty much the only ones to standout. Durant outdueled Lebron and Westbrook outplayed Wade, a good sign for the Thunder and what a showing that is by the young duo, they may already be better than the superstar Miami duo, though I'm not so sure yet, they still might be a bit behind, but man do they play like two of the top 5-6 players of the nba.

Well, Durant is just amazing. He is the 2nd best player in the NBA. Lebron is clearly the best, but the Thunder don't need the best to win the series.

Bosh, Chalmers, Miller and Wade (at times) are all defensive liabilities. These guys are great on Offensive transition, but are lazy to play defense. And Spolstra plays 4 of these 5 to play most of the 4th quarter, no way you are going to win the ball game.

LeBron, Battier, and Haslem has decent enough defense where there isn't any major problems.

Chalmers might just be the worst defender in this series. Dude runs all over being lost. He doesn't know how to use the help line (dropping back or switching coverage), he doesn't hustle back on defense. Bosh has been lazy too. This is why sponstra is benching him to start the game.

Thunder have better role players to match up the heat. Westbrook/Harden has limited chalmers and wade. Thabo on LeBron. Perkins in the middle.... Ibaka (and Collison) match up well against Bosh.

I think the heat will make it at least 6 games, but I think OKC wins the series.

Wade is the one that needs to step up, he is a superstar and has played like one up until the Celtics series. He should be scoring more than Westbrook at least, but he is getting outdone and the Heat will lose quickly if he doesn't play like he usually does. They could use Bosh playing well also, but Ibaka looks like he could handle him well.

Miami hit back by winning Game 2 in OKC, getting homecourt advantage. It ended close with OKC getting back in it. Apparently Durant got hit by Lebron on the last play for the Thunder, but no foul was called and Lebron then made his FTs. Both Durant and Lebron had 32 points each, but Lebron had the more allround game.

Big win by the Heat and now they get three straight in Miami, they might win it there. OKC had to win that one as now it's going to be tough to win at least one in Miami.

I'm hearing about that foul on Durant, but I just don't see it that way. That's the type of foul that would make fans think the NBA is rigged, and hear them say how referees are changing the outcome of the game. Pretty much what we said quite a few times during these playoffs. I wouldn't call that a foul, especially in that type of situation...from what I saw, there was barely a contact that would make you adjust your shot at all.

Guybrush wrote:I'm hearing about that foul on Durant, but I just don't see it that way. That's the type of foul that would make fans think the NBA is rigged, and hear them say how referees are changing the outcome of the game. Pretty much what we said quite a few times during these playoffs. I wouldn't call that a foul, especially in that type of situation...from what I saw, there was barely a contact that would make you adjust your shot at all.

Too true. Indeed, I was rooting for OKC... But going for a bail-out foul to save you instead of scoring straight up is weak sauce. Not to mention, they changed that rule this year, so even if they did blow the whistle, you no longer get free throws on a Karl Malone foul like that.

Well Durant was outplaying LeBron those 2nd and 3rd quarters. When he got that 5th foul, he wasn't himself.

Miss free throws for OKC, Westbrook being so inconsistent (he looks like a superstar one minute, and then he just starts running all over the place playing isolation basketball. Two bad fouls on OKC on miami in the third (where Miami got to shoot 3 free throws both times) killed the momentum for OKC.

I figured after game 1 Miami would make adjustments and make it interesting as they have throughout the playoffs, but I didn't expect this. I still think the Thunder are too deep for the bench-less heat, but this series is going 7 games no matter what.

I'm not nearly as down on Westbrook as most other's are, he's just doing what he has done all year, minus the end result. I agree with Crackerz though, Durant getting in foul trouble changed the complexion of the game.

Game 3 changed after the 3rd quarter after Durant got the foul, but the Thunder coach also took Westbrook out the remaining of the 3rd I believe and for an extended period of time. The remaining line up lost the lead for them and the game at that point in time.

What is also missing with the Thunder is the inside game, I know they are perimeter oriented but they are going to have to invlove their bigs in order to get the proper type of balance, and someone needs to look out for Battier on the perimeter leave him open and he will hit that 3.

Lebron really looking indestructible, looking focused, strong, watching him just power through, with all that speed is insane. If I was OKC I would try my best to keep Bron in the perimeter, but that is not possible he is too strong, and manuevers any way he pleases. If the Thunder coach can limit Bron to jump shots that would be better for them. Let Brons jump shot and others beat you.